My Love... by My Side [COMPLETED]

23 : Love, Reunion

Taylor sits alone in the ice cream shop, trying to cool down after an intense argument with Cole. He can't believe he let his anger out on him, knowing that Cole has nothing to do with the situation. Guilt washes over him suddenly.

"Tay..." he turns his head, finding Cole standing right behind him.

"Cole..." he looks at him, still feeling guilty for his outburst.

What have I done?

"Hello, best friend!" Mint pokes his head out from behind Cole. Taylor's mood turns even gloomier.

"Before you say anything, let's cool down first, okay? Sit," says Cole, taking a seat next to Taylor while Mint sits in front of them.

"Talk..." Taylor says, trying to contain his emotions. Mint takes a deep breath.

"Mr. Wu and I... there's nothing between us. I like Mr. Wu, but not in a romantic way. You know how much I've always wanted siblings, so I see him as my brother, just like Rae. We've become close after he helped me with Julie. He gives me advice about relationships and such. I'm sorry for not telling you about Julie because I haven't officially declared anything with her. I wanted to take it slow and get to know her better before we jump into a relationship," Mint explains.

"So... you're not having an affair with him?"

"Pfft, what do you think I am, mister? And why are you accusing us like that?" Mint asks, clearly offended by the assumption.

"Well... last night, I saw Rae and Mr. Wu kiss. Not just a simple kiss, but a passionate one. At first, I thought you were involved with him, which is why I asked him to sing a song for you. When I saw him kissing Rae, I couldn't help but wonder how you would feel if your boyfriend was making out with someone else..." Mint bursts into laughter, finding the whole situation amusing.

"Yeah, right! Just wait until you hear the rest..." he teases.

"About what?" Mint smirks.

"They spent the night together after that," Mint says boldly. Taylor's eyes widen in surprise, and he blushes suddenly.

"Don't get too carried away, you pervert! They just slept together because Rae was too drunk to stand by herself. So Mr. Wu helped her to her room. Nothing happened, he assured me..." Mint clarifies.

Taylor's tension starts to ease as he realizes he misunderstood the situation. He feels relieved to know that there's nothing between Mint and Mr. Wu, but he also feels embarrassed for jumping to conclusions.

"When?" Cole asks him.

"This morning when we were making hangover soup for her," says Mint. So that's what they were talking about!

"Why does Mr. Wu wants to keep this from me?"

"He's not ready yet. It's not easy to get Rae back, and he wants to take things slow. He wants to revisit what they left behind ten years ago," says Mint.

"Ten years ago?"

"Wait, you never knew your sister had a boyfriend ten years ago?" Taylor seems confused.

"Oh! So the boy who helped my sister escape is him!" Taylor gasped. He does remember that day when a boy came to Diana's house to meet him and made a promise that he would save Rae as soon as possible.

"Oh.. so that's what it is!" Suddenly, Cole remembers something.

"What?"

"I remember Youn suddenly went missing. The police finally found him unconscious in an old factory, bleeding and bruised. It took almost a year for him to get back to his normal state. That took a toll on our life. Yoo-Ri and my dad ended up divorced, and we moved to the city when Youn got an offer to further study music with a scholarship," says Cole. Slowly, almost every part of the story is getting revealed.

"What actually happened to her?" asks Mint. Taylor sighs, looking at them with teary eyes.

"Actually... My dad sold her to the person he owed a debt to," Taylor says sadly.

"How could he do that?!" Mint forms a fist in his hand. Why are there still such cruel humans in this world?

"That's his nature. He treated us badly, even when my mom was still alive. She committed suicide because she couldn't take the abuse anymore. Since then, Rae held everything on her shoulders. She even took the abuse from him. She suffered a lot," says Taylor, wiping his tears away.

Cole then remembers when Taylor asked him if he hates his father. Looks like he finally knows the reason behind the question.

"So, what happens next? I mean, Mr. Wu failed. So, what happened to Rae?" asks Mint.

"I don't know. All I know is that a few months later, she called Aunt Diana's house. Finally, I got a chance to talk to her. She told me not to worry about her, and she started sending money and a new phone. Five years later, she told me she wants to live with me. So we moved to Rose Town," says Taylor.

"For all my life, I never believed in love. But when I happened to know the truth behind their story, now I do believe in true love," says Mint. This is another reason why he pays so much respect to Youn.

Taylor begins to cry, and Cole hugs him from his side, consoling him.

"Why are you crying, baby?"

"It's just... I feel so touched by their love. And happy because finally, they found their happiness," says Taylor. Cole gives him a sweet smile and hugs him even tighter.

"And I'm glad because finally, everything is clear between us. I am not having any affair, okay?" They laugh when they see Mint's pouty lips.

"Sorry, best friend, for the misunderstanding and false accusation," says Taylor.

"Now you sound like a lawyer!" says Mint.

They laugh and continue spending their evening together.

------------------

"Wait, where do you want to go?"

"Nature's call. Got any problem with that?"

"Can I come with you?"

"Don't be silly, mister. There's no way you're going to do that!" she releases herself from his hug and goes into the bathroom.

"Honey! Honey!!"

"I'm coming.. geez! Why are you keep whining?"

"Why are you taking so long?" he pulls her into his embrace again.

"I was only gone for five minutes!"

"I've waited enough for you. Now I don't want to wait anymore. I want to spend every single moment, every second just with you.." he says, caressing her cheek and kissing her. She just shakes her head and smiles.

"I love you, Youn.."

"I love you more, Rae.."

"Okay, let's go back to watching the movie.." she makes him focus on the TV.

"Oh, I forgot to ask you. What movie are we watching right now?" Youn asks her. She smirks and looks at him.

"The Nun.."

"What?! Oh my God, I can't watch a horror movie, you know it, honey!!" Youn whines again, hiding his face behind her head.

"Be a man, Youn. You're not young anymore!"

"Fine, but I need to sleep here tonight. There's no way I will drive home alone!" says Youn.

"Looking for an excuse, aren't you?"

"Yes, and don't blame me for that.." he kisses her.

"Oh my God, look! The ghost just came out!!"

"Honeeeyyyy!!!" Youn hides behind her. She just laughs out loud.

-----------------

They look at the couple through the window.

"Look how happy they are.." says Cole. He glances at Taylor and Mint, both of them smiling while watching the couple enjoy their time together.

"I hope this happiness will last forever.."

"Yeah.. me too.." says Mint. They continue to watch the couple with warm hearts, hoping for their happiness to endure.